Lingering Smoke Clears as New Smoke Plumes Take Shape

Air Quality Alerts

Air Quality Alerts (AQAs) in Washington were expanded today due to current conditions.  The map below shows all AQAs currently in effect.  AQAs in the Vancouver/Portland area are due to lingering haze and expected ozone today.  AQAs in Eastern and Central Washington cover most of the region due to wildfire smoke, and will be reassessed on Friday morning.

Air Quality Alerts continued (dark grey) and new (light grey) with fire locations in orange. 
Also shown are Red Flag Warnings (pink) and AirNow PM2.5 AQI markers (1 pm PDT).

Forecasted Conditions

It's a mixed bag of modest clearing coupled with new smoke plumes developing today.  The extreme heat is leading to fire growth in many areas, as satellite imagery shows new plumes emerging from fires in the Cascades.  Meanwhile, the fires in the Colville Reservation and in Oregon continue to produce large swaths of smoke.  We expect cooling and some moisture west of the Cascades in the next few days, which will also help clear the air.  Unfortunately, the weather forecast also calls for more lightning, which could lead to more fire ignitions.  Furthermore, the Columbia Basin will continue to see extreme heat and fire activity across the region will continue.  

Given the current situation, we expect significant smoke to be especially problematic around the Colville Reservation.  The Kaiser Canyon fire has burnt over 80,000 acres and will continue to grow as critical fire weather continues.  The Modrite fire isn't growing as large (9,000 acres), but is still producing large amounts of smoke today.  A new Air Resource Advisor has been assigned to the area, offering smoke outlooks for Northeastern Washington.

There are several smaller fires around Ross Lake, on both sides of the Canadian border.  While these fires don't pose much of an immediate threat to populated communities, their location will make it difficult to manage these fires, and significant growth is expected.  This means residents near the North Cascades should expect intermittent smoke impacts from these fires.  The Little Giant fire (north of Lake Wenatchee) is also on the smaller side, but its location is concerning for residents of Chelan and Douglas counties.  Smoke has increased in Plain, Entiat, Wenatchee, etc. and while there is expected clearing tomorrow, the fire will also grow and produce more smoke.

Wrap Up

It's looking like it's going to be one of those years again, where Eastern and Central Washington are hit by smoke events continuously throughout the summer.  We are on pace to have one of the worst wildfire seasons across the region in recent history.  So, while long-term forecasts are always uncertain, there's no doubt that smoke events will be a regularly recurring theme this year.  Plan ahead, stay up to date, and find clean air where you can!

GOES animation from AerosolWatch - July 22, 2026 (12 pm to 3 pm). 

Poor Air Quality Continues

Impaired air quality continues across Eastern Washington, with a significant amount of smoke lingering in the atmosphere from local and regional fires. Light winds are providing little help in dispersing the smoke.

GOES-West satellite imagery (July 21, 1046 PDT)

Fires of note in Washington:

• Kaiser Canyon Fire in Nespelem grew another 2,600 acres overnight and is now over 60,000 acres. Hot and dry conditions will continue to lead to fire growth. 
• Modrite Fire near Inchelium has grown to almost 8,000 acres.
• Little Giant Fire is burning in a remote part of the Glacier Peak Wildnerness about 41 miles northwest of Leavenworth. Currently almost 800 acres, it's located in challenging terrain and will continue to grow with the hot and dry weather. Smoke impacts to downwind communities (Plain, Leavenworth, Wenatchee) will continue as the fire remains active.

In Eastern WA, Air Quality Alerts are in place for the following counties through at least tomorrow morning: Benton, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Walla Walla Counties. [UPDATE July 22 11am: Air Quality Alerts in Eastern WA have been extended through at least Friday morning.]

Continued light winds today will keep smoke in Eastern WA, with the greatest smoke impacts closest to active fires. Expect increased smoke impacts in the Columbia Basin throughout today as well in addition to continued localized impacts in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla areas from Oregon fires. Thanks to an increase in winds from the west, gradual improvement will likely begin Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, the increase in winds also brings critical fire weather; smoke impacts will evolve with any new fires and increased fire growth.  

In Western WA, expect upper-level haze to continue today, with the majority of the smoke remaining aloft in the atmosphere. At the surface, air quality conditions will be mostly Moderate with periods of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups possible in Eastern King and Eastern Snohomish Counties as well as communities at higher elevation (above about 2,000 feet above sea level). Elevated ozone concentrations may also contribute to air quality impacts in Eastern King and Eastern Pierce Counties. Cleaner air and clearer skies should return Wednesday evening with onshore flow. Air Quality Alerts continue through tomorrow morning in Skagit and Whatcom Counties.

Heat and Smoke

In addition to smoke, most of the state is under heat advisories. Health impacts can be amplified when it is hot and smoky, so be sure to pay attention to any symptoms and check out DOH's resources on how to protect yourself from smoke. 

Smoke from the Little Giant Fire NW of Leavenworth (Inciweb, July 20).

Smoke Conditions Remain Challenging as Fires Intensify

Eastern Washington continues to experience impaired air quality, especially in the Spokane area and across Northeast Washington. Current smoke impacts are mainly due to the Kaiser Canyon Fire (currently ~62,000 acres) and the Modrite Fire (currently ~6,000 acres); both fires grew substantially over the weekend. Containment progress has been made on the Lyons Ferry and Royal Lake Fires and smoke impacts from those fires should be minimal going forward. 

Active fires on the landscape; satellite image from 7/19/2026

Air Quality Alerts have been issued for Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane and Stevens Counties through Wednesday at 9am. 

UPDATE 1:40pm: Additional Air Quality Alerts have been issued for Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties through Wednesday at 9am. 

Outlook: today and tomorrow

Expect continued impaired air quality in communities closest to active fires. In Eastern WA, smoke impacts will continue to linger in the Spokane area and Northeast Washington, with improvement expected starting late tomorrow evening. North winds may also push smoke into the Columbia Basin leading to mostly Moderate air quality with the potential for occasional periods of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. While surface winds are expected to keep smoke from Oregon fires generally away from Washington, there may be localized impacts in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla areas.

In Western WA, expect to see haze aloft in the atmosphere through midweek as smoke drifts over the region. The majority of smoke should stay high above us in the atmosphere with minimal surface-level impacts (mostly Moderate with potential for Unhealthy to Sensitive Groups along the Cascade Crest). An Air Quality Alert has also been issued for Skagit and Whatcom Counties through Wednesday at 9am due to expected smoke impacts from fires in British Columbia.

Looking Ahead

The wildfire situation continues to evolve with expected hot and dry weather. With active fire behavior, continued fire growth, and potential holdover fires from recent lightning, smoke production may increase across the region. 

We'll continue monitoring the changing conditions and update as needed. Keep an eye on current and forecasted conditions at the map at the top of this page (note that today's cloud cover is limiting our ability to accurately predict smoke so forecasted air quality may differ from localized conditions).

Numerous new wildfires across the region; Lyons Ferry fire pouring smoke into Spokane

Lightning and New Wildfires

Numerous new wildfires have been ignited by lightning in the last few days, particularly across eastern Oregon and Washington where fuel (vegetation) conditions are very dry and receptive to fire. While thunderstorm chances are now diminishing, additional new fires may continue to emerge in the days ahead as warm, dry weather continues and intensifies into next week.

The largest and most active fires in Washington right now appear to be the Lyons Ferry fire (~30,000 acres), the Royal Lake fire (~12,000 acres), and the Kaiser Canyon fire (~2,200 acres). Keep in mind that, with the rapidly evolving situation, acreage numbers may not be fully accurate on these incidents.

Large wildfires in Oregon and Washington as of Friday morning, July 17, 2026. Many of these fires are new in the last couple days. Data via the DNR Wildfire Intel Dashboard.

Roughly 5,000 lightning strikes have occurred in Washington since Tuesday, many of them occurring with little or no rainfall. Data courtesy National Lightning Detection Network by Vaisala, processed by Iowa Environmental Mesonet. 

Smoke and Air Quality

Eastern Washington woke up to widespread smoke, with the Spokane area in particular getting hammered by smoke from the Lyons Ferry fire. Air quality readings in Spokane have been VERY UNHEALTHY to even HAZARDOUS at times Friday morning. 

GOES satellite imagery at 7 am (Friday July 17).

The air quality index at Liberty Lake (Spokane metro) monitoring station has climbed into HAZARDOUS Friday morning. Data via WA Dept. of Ecology.

As a result, Air Quality Alerts have been issued from now through at least Sunday morning for Spokane, Adams, Whitman, and Lincoln counties. Alerts could be expanded to other areas as the smoke situation evolves. As a reminder, the blog has multiple resources linked on how you can stay safe during periods of wildfire smoke.

Looking Ahead

Through the weekend, wind patterns favor onshore flow and south or southwest winds across eastern Washington. While the air quality in western WA and the Cascades will remain GOOD because of this onshore flow from the Pacific Ocean, areas to the north and east of existing and emerging incidents in eastern Washington and Oregon will experience continued periods of smoke. 

Exact smoke concentrations and locations of worst smoke are difficult to predict with confidence because of the rapidly evolving wildfire situation, not just in Washington but because of the dynamic fire situation in eastern Oregon. If eastern Oregon fires continue to grow, smoke impacts could deteriorate further in south-central and southeastern WA (Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Pullman). 

Fire weather conditions will also remain elevated into next week, and firefighting resources are beginning to get stretched thin, which could lead to additional fire growth on active incidents. The bottom line: stay tuned to your local air quality by visiting fire.airnow.gov -- and we will post another update on Monday. 

Turner Hill fire in North Idaho smoking out Spokane this morning

A fast moving fire started last night in the Turner Hill area, north of Sandpoint. Low mixing heights and a direct wind flow brought smoke through Sandpoint and into Spokane early this morning. Several monitors show Unhealthy NowCast AQI values for several hours. The weather system passing over the region won't help with mixing heights, but changing winds and precipitation should limit the duration of smoke in the Spokane area.

Turner Hill Fire Photo acquired from https://app.watchduty.org/i/108749/reports/656453

The Turner Hill fire is being managed by the Idaho Department of Lands and North Bench Fire District, with over 20 people actively working the fire last night. There was also a brush fire on an I-90 ramp this morning, which contributed a little to the smoke in Spokane this morning.

PM2.5 in north Idaho and Spokane area (8 am, Thursday July 16)

Lots of rain and thunderstorms are actively moving over northwest Washington and northeast Oregon today. Eastern Washington precipitation amounts will be more sporadic. Windy and dry conditions are anticipated for the Columbia Gorge and Cascade gaps of eastern Washington but the humidity levels will surge during the evening. However, a warming and drying trend will kick back in regionally this weekend.

Many lightning strikes are occurring across the region, so new fire ignitions are likely to be discovered over the next few days. Stay tuned for changing conditions and we'll post updates as needed. 

Fire Weather Ramps Up This Week!

Fire Weather This Week

Hot and dry conditions return to the inland Pacific NW today.  Tuesday and Wednesday will get even hotter, and dry thunderstorms are expected east of the Cascades, posing lightning ignition risks.  There may be some precipitation in areas, but fire weather will remain elevated.  We expect slight cooling on Thursday but fire danger will remain high as we approach a drier and hotter weekend.

Forecast from National Weather Service - Spokane Office

Fires in Oregon

The East Evans Creek fire in southwest Oregon, north of Medford, has been producing significant smoke the past few days, with large plumes seen in satellite imagery.  The fire has burned nearly 4,000 acres but there has been a very large firefighter response, with over 1,000 people working the fire, actively protecting homes, and using aircraft to drop both fire retardant and water.  

Other wildfires of note (Anthony, Salmon, and Olive Butte) are clustered around the North Fork John Day Wilderness Area in northeast Oregon.  Incident management teams are working hard on these fires but more activity is expected this week.

Brunswick Complex in BC

The Brunswick Complex in BC received small amounts of precipitation over the weekend, which helped limit activity when coupled with the cooler temperatures.  Forest fuels remain dry and warm and dry weather will build early this week, but some precipitation may materialize on Thursday night.

Smoke Aloft This Morning

Fire in the Northwest Territories are producing copious amounts of smoke, with bands aloft seen as far south as Oregon in satellite imagery this morning.  This isn't a concern for our region, and there is no evidence of smoke mixing down to the surface.

Smoke Coverage from the NOAA Hazard Mapping System for Monday July 13, 2026 (8 am).

Wildfire Complex in British Columbia growing quickly

Brunswick Complex

The Brunswick Creek wildfire started on July 2 near Boston Bar, BC, and quickly took off in steep terrain under hot, dry conditions. Strong winds led to additional nearby fires, including the Ainslie Creek fire which has grown even more.  Together, the Brunswick Complex fires along the Fraser Canyon have burned over 30,000 acres, prompting many evacuations and emergency response in the area.  

Whatcom county was moderately impacted early in the week, and some smoke was possible in Northeast Washington today, but there probably won't be noticeable impacts this weekend.  We expect the fires to continue burning, so Northern Washington will see intermittent smoke impacts throughout the summer.  Wind flow in the near term will help keep most of the smoke in Canada, but parts of Northern Washington will eventually see Canadian smoke.

Aqua / MODIS Imagery for July 8 - Courtesy of NASA - Worldview

New Wildfires in Oregon

Lightning on July 7 ignited new fires in Eastern Oregon.  Currently smoke plumes can be seen in satellite imagery from the Salmon and Greenhorn fires as well as the Anthony Fire.  While we don't expect any impacts in Washington yet, it's possible these fires could grow and eventually impact Southeastern Washington later this summer.

Fire Weather Watch in Central Washington (Saturday)

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Fire Weather Watch on Saturday due to expected dry windy conditions in Central Washington (e.g. Colville Reservation, Okanogan Valley, and Waterville Plateau).  Rapid fire spread is likely so residents should avoid activity that could spark new wildfires. 

Fuels Drying Out

Fire risk will be moderate in the near-term but with higher danger in windy areas. Very dry vegetation means any new or existing fires could spread quickly and be hard to control. Fire potential is expected to rise steadily starting next week, and there is also the potential for more thunderstorms and lightning ignitions.

Celebrate safely this 4th of July

As we head into the holiday weekend, air quality across the state is currently good. Let's help keep it that way by exercising extreme caution with fireworks. Fireworks inject smoke into the atmosphere and are a leading cause of new fire starts around the 4th of July. A recent study found that between 1992 and 2012, the most common day for human-started fires was July 4, with over 7,000 fires starting on that day over the 20 year period (that's 388 fires per year just on one day!)

With warmer and drier weather expected Friday through the weekend and into next week, fire danger will begin to rise. While we still expect generally good air quality statewide, smoke impacts may occur near any new fire starts and in the immediate vicinity of firework activity. 

Fireworks and Air Quality

Fireworks produce dense smoke made up of fine particle pollution and a mix of toxic metals and chemicals. Air quality monitors across the state consistently register elevated PM2.5 concentrations on July 4 and 5. PM2.5 concentrations typically increase rapidly after nightfall on July 4, peak before midnight, and gradually return to normal by the morning of July 5. In communities closest to celebrations, AQI levels can reach the Unhealthy range.  Overcast weather conditions in Western Washington could allow smoke to linger throughout the day, as weak onshore flow and limited vertical mixing is expected.

Be Safe and Help Prevent Wildland Fires:

• Consider attending a public fireworks display rather than lighting fireworks at home.   
• Fireworks are illegal on forest lands.
• Follow all local fireworks rules and restrictions.  Check with local officials for your area.
• Where legal, ignite fireworks on a flat surface away from houses and dry vegetation.
• Keep a bucket of water or garden hose nearby to extinguish fireworks after use.